to the technology offered in China, which ran
inside of the WeChat ecosystem and gave each
citizen a QR code to prove whether or not they
had been tested for the virus, allowing some
to return to work or enter a supermarket
without first having to be screened.
The new system uses the Bluetooth technology
already on devices to transmit anonymous
information over short ranges, and servers will
hold onto your last 14 days of rotating IDs to
other devices to collect contact traces. Apple
and Google will match users based on the
time they spend together and the distance
they maintained, recognizing close family
encounters and a brush past a passerby on a
morning commute to determine how likely
someone is to be infected should they come
into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.
And because the technology will be introduced
system-wide rather than across only iOS or
Android, the scheme will help governments
avoid fragmentation and increase their
overall effectiveness.
What’s particularly interesting is that the second
phase of the project is designed to support
public health organizations without users
having to download an app. Instead, Apple and
Google will encourage users to opt-in during
a future software update. By baking the new
tracing into a system level rather than via an
app or resource, the tool will work with a deeper
degree of accuracy, and issues regarding battery
life can be tweaked on a device-by-device basis,
something that independent governments and
health bodies could not achieve alone.
Speaking of the new collaboration, a
spokesperson for Apple said that they “believe
Image: Torsten Kraatz
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